Curb finder



Aug. 12, 1958 R. G. WOLTERS 2,847,527

CURB FINDER Filed Jan. 5, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 9 INVENTOR 35 29 32 33 3 B.G%Zie rs ATTORNEYS- Aug. 12, 1958 R. G. WOLTERS 2,847,527

CURB FINDER Filed Jan. 3, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS 2,847,527 Patented Aug. 12, 1 958 ice 2,847,527 CURB FINDER Robert G. Wolters, Chickasaw, @ihio Application January 3, 1%6, fierial No. 556,879 2 Claims. (CL 20tl-61.44)

The present invention relates to curb finders, and more particularly, to curb finders of the type having a visual indication of the operation of the finder.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a curb finder having means associated therewith for closing circuit to a signal light which will burn when the curb finder is operated.

Another object of the invention is to provide a curb finder of the class described having means to normally maintain the finder in a neutral position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a curb finder having means for clamping the finder to a portion of a motor vehicle adjacent to the side of the vehicle exposed to curbs.

A still further object of the invention is to provide curb finder mounting having adjusting means thereon such as to permit horizontal, vertical, and angular adjustment of the finder to the road.

Another object of the invention is to provide a curb finder which is adaptable to Varying structures of motor vehicles having varying heights above the road surface.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following specification when considered in the light of the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of the invention shown attached to a portion of a motor vehicle, partially broken away and partially in section, and includes a diagrammatic illustration of the electrical circuits involved.

Figure 2 is an enlarged horizontal cross-section taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical cross-section, partially broken away, taken along the line 33 of Figure I, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detailed cross-section of the pivot ball taken along the line 44 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary rear elevation of a modified form of mounting bracket.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary side elevation of another modified form of mounting bracket.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary side elevation of a modified form of curb finder support.

Figure 8 is a side elevation, partially broken away, of another modified form of curb finder support.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary side elevation of still another modified form of curb finder support.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary side elevation of yet another modified form of curb finder support.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the several figures, the reference numeral indicates generally a portion of a fender of a conventional motor vehicle. The fender 20 is provided with an upwardly and inwardly reverted lower edge 21 and a cross baffle 22 which extends transversely of the vehicle and of the fender 26). The reverted edge portion 21 is spaced from the fender by means of a horizontally disposed portion 23 in a conventional manner.

A housing 24 consisting of a semi-cylindrical body is provided with oppositely disposed end flanges 25 and 2-6 and oppositely disposed side flanges 27 and 23. The semicylindrical housing 24 is formed hollow and has a pair of apertures 29 and 30 formed therein. A fiber semicircular block 31 is positioned within the housing 24 and an insulating panel 32 is positioned between the fiber block 31 and the housing 24. A copper connector 33 is mounted between the fiber block 31 and the insulating panel 32.

A contact plate 34 is recessed in the fiber block 31 and has an integral bolt 35 extending through the fiber block 31, copper connector 33, insulating panel 32 and aperture 29 to extend outside of the housing 24. A fiber insulating washer 36 is positioned about the bolt 35 in engagement with the outer surface of the housing 24. A nut 37 enagainst the fiber washer 36 to clamp the bolt 35 in place which locks the fiber block 31 within the housing A second contact 38 is recessed within the block 31 in spaced apart relation to the contact 34 and likewise has a bolt 39 integrally extending therefrom. The bolt 3% extends through the fiber block 31, connector 33, insulating panel 32, and aperture 30 in the housing 24. A nut 40 on the bolt 39 engages a fiber washer 41 to lock the assembly in place on the housing 24. The bolts 35 and 39 are each provided with a wire clamping nut 42. The copper connector 33 is in electrical cont-act with the bolts 35 and 39 to provide an electrical connection therebetween.

A pair of cover members 43 and 44 are positioned over the flanges 25, 26, 27 and 28 on the housing 24, and a third cover member 45 is superposed thereover. A pair of bolts 46 project through the cover members 43, 44 and 45 and the flange 28 at one side of the housing 24, and a pair of bolts 47 project through the covers 43, 44 and 45 and the flange 27 at the other side of the housing 24 to lock the covers and flanges together. Bolts 48, 49, 5d and 51 project through the covers 43, 44 and 45 and the flanges 25, 26, 27 and 28, respectively, adjacent the corners thereof to lock the covers to the flanges.

The cover 43 is provided with a semi-cylindrical inwardly projecting socket 52 adjacent the center thereof, and the socket 52 is provided with an elongated arcuate slot 53 extending horizontally about the socket 52. The cover 44 has a socket 54 projecting outwardly oppositely to the socket 52 and cooperating therewith. A slot 55 is formed in the socket 54 opposite to the slot 53. A ball 56 is mounted in the sockets 52 and 54 and is provided with a pivot pin 57 extending vertically therethrough and engaged at its opposite ends between the covers 43 and 44. A bolt 58 extends vertically between the covers 43 and 44 in alignment with the pivot 57 to provide an opening for lubricating the ball 56.

A shaft 59 extends through the ball 56, slots 53 and 55, and into the housing 24 at one end, and projects a substantial distance laterally at the other end. The inner end of the shaft 59 is formed with an axial bore 60 having a coil spring 61 seated therein. An internal spring guide 62 is mounted over the outer end of the spring 61 and has a head 63 formed therein. A cap 64 telescopes over the inner end of the shaft 59 and engages the head 63 on the spring guide 62 so that the cap 64 is normally biased into engagement with the block 31.

A bellows-like tapered boot 65 has its large end 66 engaged against the cover plate 44 and clamped thereto by an off-set flange 67 formed on the cover plate 45. The outer end 68 of the boot 65 is engaged over the shaft 59. A vertical bore 69 extends through the shaft 59 adjacent the outer end thereof and has a shaft 70 slidably secured therein by means of a longitudinally extending set screw 71.

The lower end of the shaft 70 is provided with an eye 72. A curb feeler rod 73 having a tip 74 thereon is mounted on a heavy duty coil spring 75. A split clamp 76 is positioned in clamping relation to the coil spring 75 and engages over the opposite sides of the eye 72 where it is clamped by means of a bolt 77. Obviously, the shaft 70 can be vertically and angularly adjusted with relation to the shaft 59 and the feeler rod 73 can be angularly adjusted about the bolt 77 with relation to the shaft 70.

A pair of U-shaped clamp members 78 are secured to the fender by means of bolts and lock nuts 79 and 80 which extend across the U-shaped clamp 78 to clamp the horizontal portion 23 of the fender 20 therebetween. A plate 81 extends laterally from the bight of each of the U-shaped clamps 78 and has a bar 82 secured thereto by means of bolts 83 in a generally vertical position. The lower ends of the bars 82 are secured to the flanges 25 and 26 by means of bolts 48, 49, 50 and 51 so as to support the housing 24 from the fender 20.

A signal light 84 is electrically connected through the ignition switch 85 to a battery 86 and to the bolt in a conventional manner. The body of the housing 24 is grounded to the metal of the vehicle as indicated at 87, and the battery 86 is grounded to the metal of the vehicle as indicated at 88.

Contact of the cap 64 with either of the contacts 34 and 38 will complete the circuit through the indicator bulb 84 when the ignition switch 85 is on so that the bulb 84 will become illuminated indicating that the feeler 73 is in contact with a curb. A second indicator bulb 89 is adapted to be connected to a second curb feeler (not shown) positioned at the opposite end of the vehicle to the feeler 73.

In Figure 5 of the drawings a modified form of mounting structure is illustrated in which a U-shaped clamp 90 is clamped to a baffle 22 by means of a bolt 91 and lock nut 92. An arm 93 is bolted to the U-shaped clamp 90 by means of a bolt 94 and is clamped to the flange 25 by means of the bolts 49 and 48. This structure is utilized at such points where it is more convenient than the clamps illustrated in the preferred form of the invention.

A right angular mounting bracket 95 is shown secured to a horizontal member 96 on the vehicle by means of bolts 97. The vertical leg 98 of the bracket 95 is secured to the housing 24 by means of bolts 50 and 51.

In Figure 7, a modified shaft a is illustrated in which the shaft 70a has a right angle bend 99 formed therein. An eye 72a similar to the eye 72 is formed on the terminal end of the shaft 70a.

Figure 8 illustrates another form of the invention where the shaft 591; is formed with a bore 100 extending longitudinally thereof, and a shaft 70b is telescopically received in the bore 100 being secured therein by means of a set screw 7112. An eye 72b is formed on the free end of the shaft 70b to receive the clamp 76 in secured thereon by means of the bolt 77. The shaft 591) is mounted in the ball 56 in the same manner as illustrated in the preferred form of the invention.

In Figure 9 a modified form of the invention is illustrated wherein the pivot ball 56 is provided with a bore which has extending therethrough a pivot pin 57. A right angularly extending shaft 700 passes through a transverse bore adjacent the outer end of the shaft 59 and is secured therein. The shaft 700 has an eye 720 formed adjacent its lower end. A clamp 76c secures the spring to the eye 72c by means of a bolt 77. The inner end of the shaft 59c is mounted in the same manner and performs the same function as the inner end of the shaft 59 in the preferred form of the invention. In the modification illustrated in Figure 10 there is shown a ball 56 having a pivot pin 57 extending therethrough which carries a shaft 59d extending therethrough similarly to the shaft 59 in the preferred form of the invention. An eye 72d is formed on the outer end of the shaft 59d and has a clamp 76d secured thereto by means of a bolt 77 In the use and operation of the invention referring first to the preferred form of the invention, as illustrated in Figures 1 through 4, the U-shaped clamp 78 is secured to the fender 20 by bringing the bolt 79 into clamping engagement with the horizontal portion 23 thereof. Vertically extending members 82 are secured to the U- shaped clamp 78 by bolts 83 and carry the body 24 by means of bolts 48, 49, 50 and 51 passing therethrough.

The curb feeler 73 is secured to the housing 24 through the spring 75, clamp 76, shaft 70, and ball 56 in a position to engage a curb at the edges of the road. The knob 74 in contacting the curb will cause the feeler 73 to move in a direction opposite to the movement of the direction of the car about the pivot pin 57 of the ball 56. This movement will cause the cap 64 to contact the contact plate 34 or 38 depending upon the direction of movement of the vehicle. Contact of the cap 64 with the contact plates 34 or 38 establishes a circuit between the bolt 35 and ground.

The positive side of the bulb 84 is connected through the ignition switch 85 to the battery 86 with the battery 86 being grounded at 88. The ground side of the bulb S4 is connected to the bolt 35 so that the bulb 84 will be energized when the cap 64 contacts the contacts 34 or 38 if the ignition switch 85 is closed. The bulb 84 being locked on the dashboard of the vehicle will indicate which curb feeler 73 has been moved. As illustrated in Figure l, a second bulb 89 is provided to extend to a second curb feeling mechanism at the other end of the vehicle to provide a signal to indicate the actuation of this curb feeler.

Figures 5 and 6 disclose modified supporting structures for supporting the body 24 from other points of suspension on the vehicle such as baffle 22 and frame 96.

Figures 7 through 10 illustrate modified mountings of the curb feeler to the body 24 to provide varying adjustments and heights to adapt the curb feeler to automobiles of different structures.

Having thus described the preferred embodiments of the invention, it should be understood that numerous other modifications and structural adaptations may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A curb feeler switch comprising a generally flat cover, a ball having a pair of perpendicularly related intersecting bores extending therethrough, a sweep arm extending through one of said bores, means extending through the other of said bores locking said sweep arm to said ball, means on said cover cooperating with said last-named means securing said ball to said cover for pivotal movement thereon about a transverse axis, a housing including a semi-cylindrical Wall securing to said cover with the axis of curvature of said semi-cylindrical wall coinciding with the transverse pivot axis of said ball, a pair of circumferentially spaced contacts supported on said wall within said housing, and a moving Contact secured to said sweep arm at the end thereof adjacent said cylindrical wall and arranged for engagement with a selected one of said contacts on pivotal movement of said sweep arm.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said moving contact is resiliently secured to the end of said sweep arm and resiliently engages the selected one of said contacts.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS.

2,214,685 Stone Sept. 10, 1940 2,440,587 Krall Apr. 27, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS 130,262 Australia Nov. 25, 1948 781,942 France Mar. 4, 1935 

